Land of Ermagarde
by poisonviolette
Summary: Sora, leader of the Legion of Knights in Kingdom Everildis, has to save the land of Ermagarde from King Xemnas, ruler of Kingdom Vedillo. But can he help but fall for the Prince of Everildis, who is engaged? SoraRiku AxelRoxas
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Kingdom Hearts is owned by Disney and SquareEnix, NOT me! Thank you.

Author's Thanks: People I want to thank- Enya for making the song Caribbean Blue which inspired me to write this, Google, and last but not least, my sis for giving feedback on what sounded good.

I hope you enjoy!

Land of Ermagarde

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Prologue

Long ago, in a time where wizards, warriors, and great kings existed, there resided three kingdoms in the land of Ermagarde. The first kingdom in Ermagarde was the Kingdom of Everildis ruled by King Richard Aylett, the most powerful of the three, for they had the strongest knights and were the most organized. The second kingdom was the Kingdom of Bellisente ruled by King Michael Nuveu, the most intellectual of the three because of their clever scholars and strategies for battle. The third kingdom was the Kingdom of Vedillo ruled by King Ansem Vistuario. It was the wisest of the three for he made the best choices for his people and had ruled the longest, and became known amongst his people as King Ansem the Wise.

These three kings made an alliance with each other to protect their kingdoms and the other provinces in the land of Ermagarde.As part of their alliance, they each vowed to have at least heir to the thrones of their kingdoms. A year after the alliance, King Richard of Everildis and his wife, Queen Keira, gave birth to a son whom they named Prince Riku Aylett. One year after Prince Riku was born, King Michael of Bellisente and his wife, Queen Delia, had a daughter whom they named Princess Kairi Nuveu. King Richard and King Michael both said that one child would be enough to secure their heir to the throne since King Ansem already had 13 children before the alliance with his wife Queen Sarah. You see, the only reason King Ansem had 13 children was because his wife wanted at least one daughter, but she got her final wish as she was giving birth to the 13th child, Princess Larxene. Queen Sarah Vistuario had died giving birth to Princess Larxene, and King Ansem was heartbroken. This happened one year before Prince Riku was born. But he assured them that his oldest son, Prince Xehanort, who was 14, would take the throne if he were to pass away.

And yet, the hero of our story is not even part of royal blood. The only royal connection he has is that his father, Sir Ethan Kentigern, is the leader of the Legion of Knights in the Kingdom of Everildis. His wife, Lady Ava Kentigern, is a popular merchant who makes baskets, and their son, our hero, Sora Kentigern, is born the same year as Princess Kairi.

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Just a quick note, the next chapter will be up by the end of today or tomorrow morning. I just fixed some minor glitches in this chappie.


	2. Chapter 2

I want to say thank you to Trekiael for my first review!! Oh and the 13th child is Princess Larxene, its kinda stated towards the end of the first chappie. It'll become more clear as the story progresses.

OKAY! On to chapter one!!!

Land of Ermagarde

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Chapter 1

Kingdom of Everildis: 8 years later, 1378

In the Kingdom of Everildis thrived a huge marketplace that surrounded the castle. The marketplace was second best in the land, since Galiena, the Province of sea merchants, controlled more of the trade and was the biggest. But nonetheless, the Everildis marketplace sold hearty foods all over, had the most pristine clothing, the strongest weapons, and much more.

Although there were many sections in the marketplace, the section where various sorts of baskets were made was the most popular. It was popular because customers needed baskets to carry their items in, and to-be-mothers also needed places for their newcomers to sleep in. The lady who ran this section was Lady Ava Kentigern, the wife of Sir Ethan Kentigern, leader of the Legion of Knights. She rushed around the section, taking care of each and every customer's request. Ethan came out carrying bundles of fiber, leaves, and hay that were going to be made into baskets, and saw his wife rushing around.

"Dear, shouldn't you sit down, I'm sure the customers can wait a few minutes," he said to Ava, looking ready to hit something. She approached him, putting her hands on her waist and tapping her foot. "Well, I _would_ sit down if that boy came with those baskets," she then approached the door to her house and called out, "SORA, where are the baskets?!" She continued to tap her foot and kept her hands on her waist until she heard the door bust open and a short person came out covered with baskets.

"Where have you been?!" She asked taking baskets off of her son and giving them to the customers. "I'm sorry mother, I just wanted to get them all out for the customers," Sora said with a small pout. Just as she was about to scold him, she saw his pout and laughed, patting Sora on the head and hugging him tightly. "Aw, you see ladies, he was only trying to be a good son," and some of the women laughed while he struggled out of her embrace. When he pulled away, he straightened his clothes, tried to fix his cinnamon, naturally spikey hair, and said, "please don't embrace me like that mother, I _am_ eight years old, I am almost a grown up," crossing his arms and smiling. Ava tried to keep from laughing, and said in a big voice, "of course, my dear boy. Now go back into the house and get the rest of the baskets," then smiling to him. Sora just let out a sigh in defeat and said as he walked back into the house, "yes, mother."

She laughed as Ethan approached her, putting some of the other baskets on the floor. "What was that about?" he asked with a humorous tone. "Our son thinks he's a grown up," she said still giggling. "Hmph, we'll see about that," he said as he watched Sora come out with the remaining baskets. As Sora set them down, Ethan patted him on the shoulder, and pointed to a group of girls that were looking at Sora.

"You see them? They've been staring at you the whole time. Why don't you wave to them?" Ethan said motioning to them. Sora looked at them, then turned to his father with a desperate look, and asked "Do I have to?"

"If you want them off your back, you should," he told Sora. Then he laughed as Sora waved to the girls and they giggled, running off. Sora sighed, then said, "girls are so strange. I don't really like them." "Oh come now, don't become like your Uncle Cloud," Ethan blabbed out, but covered his mouth after he said it, and Ava hit him with a basket. "What's wrong with Uncle Cloud, father?" Sora asked sounding worried. "Nothing is wrong with your Uncle Cloud, your father was just being silly, weren't you?" Ethan rubbed his shoulder, and nodded. "You see? Now go and play with Roxas, he's been waiting for you," she patted Sora on the back, and he smiled and ran off to Roxas' house that was just a few shops down.

Then Ava looked at her husband angrily as he sat down. "Don't be talking about Cloud that way, it's his choice to like men whether or not you are fine with it, and as his sister-in-law, I believe whatever makes him happy is fine!" Ethan just looked to her and sighed as she sweeped. "Besides, all boys are as much interested in girls as they are with taxes at their age," she said as she put the broom down, and sat next to him. "I'm just glad that you're not on duty as the leader of your knights, and you get to be here with Sora," she said smiling as they both saw Sora play sword-fighting with Roxas.

Sora moved his feet in an orderly fashion as he fought with Roxas, did everything that his father taught and trained him to do, and was about to be defeated when he snuck behind Roxas and poked him with the woodensword. "And I'm happy to see that training with Sora to become a knight has paid off," Ethan said leaning back and watching both boys laugh, and jump up and down for Sora's victory.

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In the Kingdom of Vedillo, the castle hallway echoed with the sound of footsteps. Prince Xehanort was heading to the main room, rereading a letter from his father that he had just found.

_Dear Xehanort, _

_Once you've read this, I have probably gone on my journey. I know I told you, your brothers, and sister that I would not be __long in returning, but I do not want you to wait for me any longer. The truth of the matter is that I have probably died on this __journey. The far seas of Galiena hold no mercy, and I am sure it has been too long since I have left. Please do not send search __parties, I do not want you to endanger the lives of other soldiers or yours for the sake of mine. I want you to take over the __throne for me, I know you will rule well, we both know this. Please tell your brothers and sister that I will always love them, __and that this is my goodbye to them and you. I love you, and farewell, my son._

_King Ansem Vistuario_

Xehanort sat down on his chair, had the letter on his lap, and drummed his fingers on the arm of the chair, remembering the last meeting he had with his father.

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Xehanort was walking to the west corridor of the castle. King Ansem had called him there to speak with him alone. 'I wonder what father is troubled about. Maybe I have done something to trouble him,' he contemplated as he opened the wooden door to the King's study chamber. When he stepped inside the chamber, his father was sitting at a small table with to pieces of papyrus, and was resting his head against his fist, deep in thought.

"Father, you called for me?" Xehanort stammered, not wanting to get the King upset. "Yes, I did," King Ansem said as he rose up from his chair. "I need to discuss with you an important matter," he said staying by the chair, and being silent. Xehanort grew nervous, and as he was about to ask what the important matter was when King Ansem said, "It is about your role as the next King of Vedillo." Then he motioned to Xehanort to sit in the chair across from him. Xehanort slowly walked to the chair and didn't sit until his father sat with him. The King showed him the two pieces of papyrus, and could now see that one piece had writing, and the other one blank. Then the King said, "For you to be the next King, I need to know that you will follow the same vows as I have to rule this kingdom, and just as the previous kings have done," he passed Xehanort a quill and a bottle of ink. He read over every rule on the papyrus as his father said it with him, and wrote them down on his blank piece of papyrus.

When he read the rule about the alliance with the Kingdom of Everildis and the Kingdom of Bellisente, he asked, "Will I also have to marry, and have an heir for the throne?" The King looked at him, and then said, "It is part of the alliance, but… I am sure you or I can make an arrangement with King Richard and King Michael." After Xehanort wrote every rule down, King Ansem pointed to the signature at the bottom of the other piece of papyrus, and he noticed something different about the signature from the rest of the writing. It had a brown color.

"Father, is that… blood? Is your signature signed with blood?" he asked, bewildered. "Yes, it is blood. I signed my name with my blood to ensure to my father, and to myself that this was what I would vow to do for the Kingdom of Vedillo, and so must you, son," he said to Xehanort, whose face looked almost white.

"Son, if you are to be the next King, this is what you must do, nor does it hurt as much as you think," he said with concern. Xehanort slowly nodded, then took the quill and cleaned the ink off of it with a cloth. He had the quill aimed at his thumb, and stared for a moment, but mustered up the courage to pinch it, and winced while he kept the quill on his wound long enough to get enough blood to sign his piece of papyrus.

After he signed it, he gave it to his father, and said, "I will not disappoint you when the time comes to be King, father," kneeling in a knight's honor to his father, and his father laid his hand on Xehanort's head, and said, "I know you won't, son," then helped him up. King Ansem walked in front of Xehanort when he said, "now I need you to go to the main room, your brothers and sister should already be there. I will tell you and them of the journey I will be going soon," he said walking the opposite direction from Xehanort.

"Journey?" Xehanort had asked, and the King simply replied, "for this ancient relic in the Seas of Galiena," and before Xehanort could ask anything else, he disappeared around the corner of the hallway. Then Xehanort just walked to the main room, as his father told him to.

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Xehanort continued to drum his fingers on the arm of his chair, and sat for a while, rubbing his forehead, repeating, "Why," in an exasperated tone until he grew angry, balling his hand into a fist, letting the King's letter fall to the floor, and growled in anger as he slammed his fist on the arm of the chair so hard that it made an echoing noise throughout the main room.

Then he walked to the front where the head knights on duty stood, and the knights bowed and said, "Your majesty." Xehanort replied with, "Sirs," and one of the knights asked, "Can we be of any service to you, your majesty?" Then Xehanort sighed in anger, motioned for the knights to follow him, and as they went inside the castle, he said, "I command every single knight in this Kingdom to go on a search party in Galiena, and its seas for the next few days. King Ansem has gone missing."

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And that is the end of chappie 1! I'm sorry the first chapter wasn't as long, but I wanted to give some background as to what this story would be. I really would appreciate it if I got some constructive criticism though, and review if you liked it or flame if you didn't, or whatever, but please do! This is my first serious story in a long time (three years, actually), and it would help me if you review. Thank you!


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